Nothing has looked quite right for the New York Knicks as we head into the second week of their NBA title defense. The team is shooting 40.8% from the field, which is second-worst in the league, and making only 32.9% of its 3-pointers. They’ve taken just 17.0 free throws per game, which is 24th and have scored just 101.7 points per game, which is dead last in the NBA. Star guard Jalen Brunson has yet to snap into the season, shooting just 39.1% from the field and 26.7% from the 3-point line. Knicks coach Mike Brown has not been happy with the team’s defense, despite the numbers not being bad there: “We’re not quite there yet,” Brown said of his team.
Maybe there are deeper psychological reasons for the team’s struggles–maybe they’re affected by the fact that ownership won’t go into the second apron for a team that broke a 53-year championship drought, maybe that is eating at players, maybe there is just a natural drop-off when you go from playing in the Finals to playing in October four months later. Whatever it is, the Knicks aren’t quite right, and Brunson wants the New York media to do something about it.
Jalen Brunson: Knicks Need Criticism
Yes, Brunson suggested that it’s time for the swath of reporters who compete for Knicks headlines to hold the team accountable. If that means brutal back-page headlines calling out effort or approach, as Brunson said to reporters this week, “Do what you do.”
Of course, the New York media is usually top of the line at such assignments. But there is still such a championship hangover, among fans and players alike, that it’s hard to bash this bunch and its efforts in the early going.
Brunson wants no excuses from reporters, though. He is seeking Knicks accountability, something new York writers do better than anyone.
“Everyone has been telling us what a great job we did, how fun it was, what we did for the city, the constant praise (for winning the title),” Brunson said, via SNY. “So now we need the opposite.”
The Knicks will face the 3-0 Pistons on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden, with tip-off slated for 8 p.m. ET.
Knicks’ Jalen Brunson Makes Blunt Request Amid 0-3 Start